L'archet Rabbath

The characteristic sound of a stringed instrument comes essentially from the bowing technique of the player. It is therefore not surprising that François Rabbath’s "Nouvelle Technique" includes copious use of the bow arm and a supply of tools to enable optimal mastery of the bow. He acts on the assumption that the best possible sound is a "free sound" with full resonance from the instrument as well as from the room. It is on this basis that he divides the basic bowings into seven groups ("families"):

Son Premier

Portato

Staccato hooked

Sautillé-Bariolage

Retake

Repeated Down-Up und

False Harmonics.

The essence of Rabbath’s technique is that it should always be effortless, even when displaying great virtuosity. As with the technique for the left hand, all movements follow natural principles that frequently break with bass traditions.
For example he advocates steady use of the full bow hair (except in a few specific cases) and rejects the usual bow tilt. The same applies to excessive bow pressure which, according to Rabbath, prevents the string oscillating freely and is therefore to be avoided.

For decades François Rabbath has been demonstrating in numerous concerts that his theories are born of his practical experience.